I enjoy tossing a variety of spices into the meals I fix for my family, but I hadn’t used mustard seeds in a while — make that a long while. When cleaning out my spice drawer, I discovered a dented can wedged in back with a 1985 expiration date stamped on the bottom. It might be a good year for a fine wine, but mustard seeds?

The experience had a positive outcome. I dashed off to Linden Hills Co-op Grocery and Deli in South Minneapolis to pick up fresh spices in bulk — in small quantities — for fall and holiday cooking. While there, I was inspired to take in that evening cooking class, Global Flavor Gone Local, with chef Kate Moore.

Full of tips and tricks, Kate encouraged us to be spontaneous when cooking at home. With a well-stocked pantry of spices, it’s easy to change the flavor profile of a dish. Like Italian? Use basil, parsley and garlic. Latin? Try cumin, coriander and chipotle.

“With a willingness to experiment, kitchen miracles can happen,” she said.

Here’s my own take on Kate’s techniques for preparing Indian-spiced roasted potatoes. My family always clamors for more of these flavorful spuds when they are served as a side with roasted chicken, pork or grilled fish.

INDIAN-SPICED ROASTED POTATOES

Makes 6 servings.

6 medium, red- or white-skinned potatoes

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon grated or minced fresh ginger

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

Salt to taste

To prepare oven: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

To prepare potatoes: Scrub, dry and cut potatoes into eighths. Place in bowl.

Donna Erickson’s award-winning series “Donna’s Day” is airing on public television nationwide. To find more of her creative family recipes and activities, visit donnasday.com and link to the new Donna’s Day Facebook fan page. Her latest book is “Donna Erickson’s Fabulous Funstuff for Families.”

As you comment, please be respectful of other commenters and other viewpoints. Our goal with article comments is to provide a space for civil, informative and constructive conversations. We reserve the right to remove any comment we deem to be defamatory, rude, insulting to others, hateful, off-topic or reckless to the community. See our full terms of use here.

More in Opinion

Things that made me shake my head this week: Charlottesville: The presidential disaster was his predictable lunatic self this week following the tragic events in Charlottesville, Va. Hardly surprising, and we still have more than three years to go with this one-man circus. Here’s what I don’t get, though. Trump is hardly shy about taking potshots at anyone, from fellow Republicans...

PROTESTERS There are a couple of things the Legislature doesn’t understand: 1. The right to protest is worthless unless the public is significantly inconvenienced. Protesters simply must be entitled to shut down freeways, airports, hospitals, shopping malls, etc. Protesters can’t protest simply by going out in a park to shout and howl. What fun is that? 2. It is fundamental...

In response to hate groups, a guy I know started an ATE group — as in “I ate here!” and “I ate there!” — themed largely around ethnic cuisine. I suggest you do the same and every time a Nazi salutes, rush to a Greek restaurant and smother your face in tzatziki sauce, shouting, “TAKE THAT, HITLER!” More than once,...

Riding on a bus in the middle of the night through Iowa, South Dakota, Nebraska, it’s impressive, the sheer volume of traffic, hour after hour. Tanker trucks and semis and auto carriers, thousands of tons of goods moving to market, like a train of ants carrying leaves to their anthill. Out here, you don’t see the “American carnage” referred to...

THE REAL TEST: A JOB A thought occurred to me while reading the article “Minnesota may change how it grades school performance” (Aug. 14). The real test should be whether or not a student who attended a St. Paul school can get and keep a job. My opinion about all these new methods for evaluating schools is that they are...

It’s a good time to consider press freedom and all it means to our democratic republic. The founders understood that an informed citizenry is essential, Gov. Mark Dayton noted in proclaiming this Minnesota Newspaper Week. He quoted President James Madison: “A people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.” The commemoration...